Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127689
them wit h .41s). The fork tubes are also tre ated intern ally wi th a very slippery Teflon coa ting, which is claimed to red uce stiction an d lengthen the serv ice life of th e fork oi l. Like the forks, th e shock featu res new valving and a stiffer 5.6 spring (A 5.4 was sto ck in '94). To compliment the new shock, the Pro Link rati os were revised to pro vid e a more progressive ride. As always, silting on a new CR for the firs t tim e is like-pu tting on an old sh oe - a Honda is a Ho nda is a Honda. . Take to the track, though, and it quickly beco mes ap pa rent this is not a "typical" CR. Last yea r, the CR250's s hoc k pe rforme d quite well , b ut the forks we re pitifully soft. While the rear end benefited fro m a s tiffer shock sp ring, it was abs olute ly impera tive for faster riders to ins tall stiffer coils u p front. Wit hou t the m, the forks dove considerably un der (Left) The '95 CR250 powerplant produces a broader spread 01 power than last year 's. Tractability was the key word in the R&D department. (Above) A larger-diameter I ront axle and wider hub provide a stiller l eel and improved brak ing power. (Right) Flnallyl A pair 01 Kayaba forks grace th e Iront end 01 the CR250 in '95. New valv lng and a Tell on internal coat ing are the highli ghts. A di sc guard come s stock. (Below) Th e newes t CR250 has the same " Honda leel" • everything is comlortable, and nothing snags the rider. Tall er pilots may need a higher seat. braking, and headshake wo uld rear its ugly head a bit too often. " This year, both ends feel ba lanced, an d pe rform quite well righ t ou t of the "box. The stiffer fork springs and tigh ter valving allow the forks to ride higher in their travel, thus providing a better, more stab le ride. While they ma y not feel as plush through smaller braking bumps as the '94 "softie s," the new Kayaba forks do a muc h better job of tackling squareed ged surfa ces and absorbing killer land ings. Since they ride higher in the travel, the new forks don't allow the CR to carve as tight a line as last year's bike, but that line is still conside rably tighter than most of the competitions'. Out back, the new shock and linkage ratio work about the same as last yea r's. O n ce yo u in s ta lled t he stiffe r fork springs in the '94 CR, the bike took on a be tt er balance d feel and the rea r end "delivered accepta ble performance. Since the '95 bike com es ade quately sprung up front, the rear feels good righ t ou t of the box. With the sag se t at 95m m, we were pleased to find that a couple clicks " in on th e compression ad juster was all that was needed. In the pa st, CR250s have swap ped when powering ou t of rull ed or roug h co rners . While the shock could ha ve been to blame, we sus pect tha t it was also due in part to th e CR' s violent surge of p ow er . The new " tractab le" powe rban d a llows the re a r w heel to hook up, and less wheelsp in equals be t- " ter ha ndling, as far as we're concerned. Believe it or not, the fron t br ak e on the n e w CR w orks ev en bet ter than before. Thanks to the new, wider fron t axle and bigg er hub, the whole fro n t end has a stiffer, more po sitive feel, and braking action is even more responsive. One finger is all that's needed on th e front brake lever - be careful! As usual, th e back b inder has just the right amount of power, withou t being too grabby. The brake pedal height is easily adjusted - a fact that was very appreciat- Working on the CR is as pleasurable as w or king on any motorcycle can be . Every thing is well thoug ht ou t, and a handful of tools is all that's nee ded to perform most basic m aintenance. The w hite airbox is nice - you can really tell how d irty the insi de is, and when it needs to be hosed out. At $5099, th e 1995 Hond a C R250 costs $200 more than the '94 model did but not rea lly! With such wimpy spring rates, a faster rider nee de d to invest at least $200 in stiffer for k a nd shock sp rings to get the CR to handl e like it was intend ed to. This year, the bike will please most rid ers in bone-stock form . Sure, the bike costs almo st as much as some economy ca rs, but only the p ickiest riders w ill spe nd any additiona l money on modifications. And besides, wh en was the last time you saw a nyo ne do a na c-n ac in a Hyund ai? " L""I While Cycle News believes theforeg oing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in determining the performance or safety of the oehlcleis), The reader should make his or her own investig ation. " , ed by the more finicky members of the testing staff. The stock handlebars ha ve a n ice bend, but in comparison to others feel a bit wide . Lopping off a half inch on each side brings them down to an accep table . width. As always, the grips are the best. We like to slice a few of the ribs off wi th a new razor blade. The new plastic was a bit shockin g at firs t, but the Yamah a-style front numberplat e and purple radiator sh ro uds have grown on us. The purpl e stickers on the gas tank last only a few minutes second s if you wear knee braces - and they leave a sticky residue on the tank that mu st be r em ov ed with contact cleaner. 0\ rl I-< OJ E o 15